Mary Poppins Returns
Mary Poppins Returns is a 2018 American musical fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall, with a screenplay written by David Magee and a story by Magee, Marshall, and John DeLuca. Based on the book series Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers, the film is a sequel to the 1964 film Mary Poppins, and stars Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins, with Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke, Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth, and Meryl Streep in supporting roles. Set in 1930s London, twenty-four years after the events of the original film, the film sees Mary Poppins, the former nanny of Jane and Michael Banks, returning one year after a family tragedy. Walt Disney Pictures announced the film in September 2015. Marshall was hired later that month, and Blunt and Miranda were cast in February 2016. Principal photography lasted from February to July 2017, and took place at Shepperton Studios in Surrey, England. Mary Poppins Returns held its world premiere at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on November 29, 2018, and was released in the United States on December 19, 2018, making it one of the longest intervals between film sequels in cinematic history, at 54 years. The film has grossed $349 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its acting (particularly Blunt), musical score, musical numbers, costume design, production values, visuals, and sense of nostalgia, although some critics found it derivative of its predecessor. It was chosen by both the National Board of Review and American Film Institute as one of the top ten films of 2018 and received numerous award nominations, including four at the 76th Golden Globe Awards (including for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy), nine at the 24th Critics' Choice Awards, three at the 72nd British Academy Film Awards, and a SAG Award nomination for Blunt at the 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards. It also received four Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score, Best Original Song ("The Place Where Lost Things Go"), Best Production Design, and Best Costume Design at the 91st Academy Awards. Cast * Emily Blunt as Mary Poppins. * Lin-Manuel Miranda as Jack: a cockney lamplighter and former apprentice of Bert from the original film. * Ben Whishaw as Michael Banks: Jane's younger brother and Annabel's, John's, and Georgie's father, who is now working as a part-time teller at Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and is a struggling widowed artist. Matthew Garber portrayed the character in the original film. * Emily Mortimer as Jane Banks: Michael's older sister and Annabel's, John's, and Georgie's aunt, who is now working as a labor organizer. Karen Dotrice, who portrayed the character in the original film, makes a cameo appearance as an elegant woman who asks Jane for directions. * Julie Walters as Ellen: Michael's and Jane's long-time housekeeper. The character was previously portrayed by Hermione Baddeley in the original film. * Pixie Davies as Annabel Banks: Michael's daughter and Jane's niece. * Nathanael Saleh as John Banks: Michael's eldest son and Jane's nephew. * Joel Dawson as Georgie Banks: Michael's younger son and Jane's nephew. * Colin Firth as William "Weatherall" Wilkins: a corrupt president of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, Mr. Dawes Jr.'s nephew and Michael's boss, who sought to repossess the Banks' family house due to Michael's inability to pay off the loans. ** Firth also voices a wolf representing Wilkins in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence. * Meryl Streep as Topsy: Mary Poppins's eccentric Eastern European cousin called Tatiana Antanasia Cositori Topotrepolovsky (“Topsy” for short) who runs a fix-it workshop within London. * David Warner as Admiral Boom: A staunchly by-the-book retired naval officer who is now confined to a wheelchair. Reginald Owen portrayed the character in the first movie. * Jim Norton as Mr. Binnacle: Boom's first mate. Don Barclay portrayed the character, while David Tomlinson provided his voice in the original film. * Jeremy Swift as Hamilton Gooding: A lawyer who is one of Wilkins' associates. ** Swift also voices a badger representing Gooding in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence. * Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Templeton Frye: A lawyer who is one of Wilkins' associates and the more friendly of the duo. ** Holdbrook-Smith also voices a weasel representing Frye in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence. * Angela Lansbury as the Balloon Lady: A saucy balloon-seller who sells balloons at the park. The character comes directly from the novels, much like the Bird Woman in the first film. * Dick Van Dyke as Mr. Dawes Jr.: the chairman of Fidelity Fiduciary Bank and Wilkins’ uncle. Just as in the original film, Van Dyke is credited as "Navckid Keyd" which unscrambles during the credits. The character was portrayed by Arthur Malet in the original film, while Van Dyke previously portrayed both Bert and Mr. Dawes Sr. (Mr. Dawes Jr.'s late father). * Noma Dumezweni as Miss Penny Farthing: Wilkins' secretary. * Sudha Bhuchar as Miss Lark: The Banks' neighbor who owns a dog. Marjorie Bennett played the role in the first movie. * Steve Nicolson as the Park Keeper: A worker at the park who doesn't want anyone walking on the "Keep off the Grass" areas. * Tarik Frimpong as Angus: Jack's fellow lamplighter who first engages in the “leerie speak” with him. Voices * Edward Hibbert as Mary Poppins' parrot umbrella. He was previously voiced by David Tomlinson in the original film (Tomlinson also portrayed George Banks in the same film). * Chris O'Dowd as Shamus the Coachman Dog, who is an Irish Setter in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence. * Mark Addy as Clyde the Horse in the animated Royal Doulton Bowl sequence. References Category:2018 films Category:2010s adventure films Category:2010s fantasy-comedy films Category:2010s musical comedy films Category:2010s sequel films Category:American fantasy-comedy films Category:American films Category:American musical comedy films Category:American musical fantasy films Category:American sequel films Category:Annie Award winners Category:Disney animated films Category:English-language films Category:Films about families Category:Films about magic Category:Films based on adaptations Category:Films based on British novels Category:Films based on children's books Category:Films directed by Rob Marshall Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:Films produced by Marc E. Platt Category:Films scored by Marc Shaiman Category:Films set in 1935 Category:Films set in London Category:Films set in music venues Category:Films shot at Shepperton Studios Category:Films shot in London Category:Films using computer-generated imagery Category:Films with live action and animation Category:Great Depression films Category:Mary Poppins Category:Nannies in films Category:Walt Disney Pictures films